You Wanna Bet?
by Sophia Rosalie Gibbs
Summary: I'm sick of being ignored in my life! After a weird chain of events, I find myself in the world of Naruto! Can a romancing Kankuro, pushy Gaara, and gang of others change my life forever?
1. Eh!

You Wanna Bet? Chapter 1

I jumped out of my bed as soon as my uncle's car pulled out of the driveway. The relatives were finally gone! I scratched my cat, Levi Strauss, on the head and made my way out of my room. I hurried down the last few stairs to see my dad waiting at the bottom, his arms crossed.

"Hi, papa!" I squealed, giving him a hug. He snorted and gave me a pat on the head. "Hiding from your uncle again, are we?"

I rolled my eyes. "Come on, Dad. You know that he scares the living bazooka out of me." He laughed and unblocked the path to the kitchen. "Come on, he's a really nice man. He even brought you a beautiful painting to have as a gift. Why don't you go look later on?"

All of my relatives work in the art business. My uncle Danny, loves to bring over his abtsract paintings that he thinks I love. I let out a small groan, and tried to go into the kitchen without letting what he said sink in. His giantic arm blocked the doorway. "I mean it, Esther. It's down in the garage."

I sighed and went under his arm. I heard him grumbling about me being a rude girl and blah blah blah. That's all I ever hear in this rat hole.

I grabbed a snack and a Coke and sat down in the kitchen. The weather was foggy and dreary, which meant no jogging. Great jumping kangaroos, everything was against me!

I threw away my trash and went down to the den, where my brothers where engulfed in a video game. I pushed the vacant chair out of the way , into the tv screen. They groaned and mentioned what a pain and butt-head I was. Oh joy.

I just ignored their comments and walked a little way to the garage door. I pulled my black hoodie closer to me, since the garage was as cold as an ice box. I found the light switch and the dreary garage turned into a bright room, but it was still just as dreary.

I saw the art stand was covered up by a cover, so I yanked it off, thinking that it was another ballistic one eye shape thingy painting. But it wasn't.

The painting was a forest like surrounding at the part closest to you, but it looked like a desert off in the distance. The painting was mesmerizing, I couldn't help staring at it. It reminded me of Gaara and the whole Naruto show.

Before I knew it, the scenery in the painting started to spread around me. The garage seemed to disappear, and I was soon above the scenery in the painting. As soon as I sighed, I felt myself falling. I closed my eyes and hit the ground with a thud.

I opened my eyes and spat out the grass that was in my mouth. I sat up and looked around. Where in the name of Boggy Jones was I?

There was a pain coming from my chest, and I fell to the ground. "Owch! I must have landed on my boobs too hard! What an awesome day I'm having!" I thought out loud. There was soon some laughter coming somewhere from the forest surrounding the small meadow I luckily landed in. It sounded like.. Kankuro!

"I know you're out there, stupid. Just show yourself. " I growled. Sure enough, cat man stepped out of the forest, carrying his puppet. "Sorry. I didn't know anyone else was here in the forest." He replied.

Hold on one smokin minute.. He actually responded to me? What was going on?! "You can see me?" I asked, getting up. He looked at me like I was crazy. "Yeah. You sure you're okay?"

I completely ignored him and went right up to him. I put my hand on his shoulder and sure enough, I could feel it.

Oh my skittles, I was in the world of Naruto!! I jumped and danced around like a hyperactive squirrel. "Yes! Ha!" I squealed, totally forgetting that Kankuro was standing right next to me.

He cleared his throat, which totally stopped me in my tracks. I froze, and turned to face him. He had this weird look on his face. Pull yourself together, Esther!

"I'm sorry. I've had a rough trip and I just fell out of that tree." I lied, pointing to a tree on the other side of the meadow. He peered at me and smiled. "How would you like to come to the Sand Village with me? I live there and they can make sure that you're okay."

I nearly fainted. Gaara live in th Sand Village. Stupid! Gaara was Kankuro's BROTHER!! I nodded. "That seems fair. I always wanted to go there." I said, trying to sound casual.

He nodded. "Cool. I'm Kankuro. You are?" I smiled back. "Esther. Nice to me ya!"


	2. Oh Joy Sand

Chapter 2: Oh joy! Sand!

I walked beside Kankuro through the never-ending desert. I thought that falling on my boobs was bad, but this was worse. Much, much worse.

I listened to Kankuro go on about his puppets, and his life. I felt my face heat up when he talked about Gaara He'd change the subject back to his puppets, and the words became "Blah, blah. Wah, wah."

Let me tell you this now. I never had anything against Kankuro. He was a nice dude (slash the horrifying purple face paint and cat outfit) and I respected him. He was just a tad on the boring side for me. And that's being nice.

FINALLY, the Sand Village came into view. Thank Boggy Jones! I thought that I would

transform into a deformed mongoose if I was in that sandy place. Kankuro stopped walking and nudged me. "Welcome to my village, Esther. What do you think?"

I forced smile. The village was huger in person than it was on my tv screen. "It's amazing!" I squealed, making him laugh. "Come on. I'm sure that Temari'll get a hoot out of you."

We walked through he some what menacing boulder passage. The village was bigger than my city in Fast-Food- a- gogo Land (AKA the US). I sighed and Kankuro directed us down a smaller path to our right. I saw the village people and they looked at me as if I were an alien.

I looked down to realize I was still wearing my blue jeans and black hoodie. Oh skittles, was I an outcast. It was like being a blue sheep in a flock of white sheep. Kankuro shrugged them off and whispered in my ear. "They're not used to people coming into our village from other countries. Don't worry."

I gulped and nodded. Yeah right, cat man. They didn't like me. Period. "We're here!" Kankuro said, breaking me from my thoughts.

I turned my head to the left and saw a plain, sandy rock house. They considered this a house? Well, it was better than living in a cardboard box. Much better.

He knocked on the door, and soon enough it opened. Temari was standing on the other side, smiling. "Kanku- Oh!" She said, her gaze on me. Holy smokes, I must seriously be a alien.

Temari smiled. "Hi, there. Who are you? A girlfriend I didn't know about?" I shrugged. "Nope. I'm Esther. You must be Temari." She nodded.

Kankuro snorted. "Aren't you going to let us in?" Temari laughed and moved aside. Kankuro went through the door and I followed him inside like a kitten trails its mother. (Not like I wanted him to be my mom. That would be seriously awkward..)

Kankuro leaned into the stairway to our left. "Hey Gaara! I'm back and brought a great surprise!" He yelled down the staircase.

Soon enough, that red head came up the stairs. He was taller than I was, maybe about 5'9". I felt like I was made of Jello. Gaara was in front of me. Alive. Real. Oh my Boggy!

He looked at me directly. He snorted at Kankuro, but just kept peering at me. "Hello. You are?" He asked, in that flat tone of voice I dreamed about. "I'm Esther. You're Gaara, right?" I managed to mumble, even though my tongue felt like it weighed more than a fat man on a fast food splurge. (No offense to fat people. I am not skinny myself, and do not plan to be.)

He just nodded and looked back over at Kankuro. "Is she your girlfriend or something along those lines?" He asked in an amused tone. (By Boggy! What was with everyone and me being his girlfriend? )

Kankuro formed a small blush. "Of course not! She was injured and trapped in the forest, so I decided to help her out! That's a ninja's duty, right?"

Temari shrugged. "Sure. If you say so. Well, let's not just stand around like a bunch of zombies. The food's all warm and waiting to be eaten. You must be hungry, right Esther?"

I nodded. As long as the food didn't resemble sand, we were good to go.

AN: I am a dislaimer! I do not own Naruto. (Only in the small thing I happen to call a brain I do!!) Please review if you like it! (Thanks to Selene98 and evil-bunny-lover who already did!)


	3. Chest Problems?

Chapter 3: Got Chest Problems?

Kankuro went to get a spare chair after we walked into the kitchen, and gave me his chair. I tried to refuse, but he insisted. Geez, I guess that cat man is trying to be a gentleman.

I couldn't complain about where I was sitting. Gaara was sitting right next to me. (Hot Boggy! He is such a hottie! Woot!)

Temari sat across from me, her teal eyes piercing at me. That made it obvious that a) she hated me or b) she felt weird around me.(Well, if my brother brought home a girl and I only knew her name, I'd be acting the same way.)

"So...Tell me a little bit about yourself, Esther." Temari said as we ate in an awkward silence.

Oh great skittles above... I hadn't thought about my background info! I had to think of a lie, and think it up quick. (Now I sound like the Grinch pretending to be Santa.. Oh joy.) "Well, my name's Esther Azami. I used to live in a small town in Thunder Country."

I tensed and dropped my fork, almost hitting Gaara in the leg. He picked it up and handed it back to me. "You said used to. What happened to your village?" He asked, peering at me.

It was so hard to lie to him when he was staring at me with those gorgy blue eyes. "It was destroyed in a fire made by some traveling rogue ninjas. Most of the people in my village were vendors or crafters, so we couldn't really protect ourselves." I said that, trying to act as sad as I could, with the added bonus of looking like I was about to cry. (Thank Boggy Jones that I was blessed with acting skills. Hoopla!)

Kankuro shook his head."I'm so sorry. What did you do afterwards?"

I gulped. Oh Boggy, this was going to be a tough cookie to break. (Snapity snap, we got a code red in progress. Somebody watch my junk! . ) "My whole family was killed in the fire, trying to protect me and the younger children. I roamed around, looking for jobs and a comfortable place to live." I began to cry, which impressed me.

The sibs sucked this up like sand absorbs water. (Ha..sand!) Temari sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

I cried a bit longer, then wiped my eyes. Kankuro looked to me. "Was that why you were in the forest?" He asked after the tear fest was over

I nodded. "I have no money with me, so I ate whatever I could find and slept in trees or abandoned houses."

Temari sighed and shook her head. "Poor girl. Well, I'm sure that everything will be fine now that you're here with us. First thing tomorrow, we'll have to go clothes shopping. I'm afraid that my clothes might not fit."

I was assuming that Temari and I were about the same waist size, but the thing we differed in was our shirt sizes. My boobs were the source of all evil!

I felt Kankuro and Gaara staring at my chest. I could see Kankuro doing this, but GAARA!! Why?! (There is only one explanation: Male hormone. Er lack!)

Temari cleared her throat, and they looked away. "Tonight, Esther will be spending the night in your room, Gaara, since you have the extra bed."

I heard Kankuro mumble something, and I turned to see Gaara and Temari having a glaring contest. Finally, Gaara looked away from her and crossed his arms. "Fine, but only tonight. She is a girl Temari, which means that she should be staying with you, not me."

Temari snorted. "You seem scared Gaara. Afraid of a harmless girl staying in your room?"

He shot her a glare that made me shiver. Hell could freeze over and be opened as a skating rink, and these two wouldn't care. "No. I just like my space. Like I said, only tonight."

And that was that. By Georgey! I would be staying in the same room as him. But with the whole him-looking-at-my-boobs thing, we might have a problem.

AN: I couldn't resist using that phrase, Selene98. It fit so well! Anyway, thanks to the two of ya'll who are reviewing! Keep it up!


	4. Emo corner

**Chapter 4: Do I have an Emo corner?**

I helped Kankuro clear the table after we finished eating. Gaara came to me after I was ne. "My room is the last room on the right. Don't touch anything."

I nodded and made my way down the stairs. He sounds just like brother. Rally, I think that guys are more protective of their stuff than girls are. (Pathetic...)

I found his room and waited outside of his room. Gaara came down a few moments later and gave me a weird look. "What are you doing?"

"Well, you said not to touch anything. That means your door." I replied. Then I realized how stupid I sounded. I thought he wold be mad, but all he did was snort,

"Are you a smarty pants or something?" he asked as he opened the door. I shook my head. "Sorry, Gaara. I just have a bad habit of touching things, so I didn't want you to be mad at me."

He just peered at me. "Why is Kankuro interested in a girl like you?"

Did he think that I liked Kankuro? Maybe some of that stuff he puts on his eyes got into his brain. I rolled my eyes and pushed him out of the way. "Why are you asking me? He's your brother."

He gave me a blank stare and motioned to the room. "I don't understand him sometimes. You're not the brainless type of brat he usually brings back home"

I shrugged and looked around. His room wasn't a complete mess, just as expected for a teenage boy. Unlike the boys in my world, there was nothing on his wall. It was pretty dark. His room was like living in a huge emo corner.

"What do you think?" he asked, plopping down on his bed. He seriously did no want to know what in the name of Boggy I thought. I shrugged. "It's much better than living in a tree."

He glanced at me, then at around the room. An awkward silence filled the emo corner. I saw the extra bed in the far corner, so I made my way towards it. I sat down and turned to Gaara.

"Gaara, why do you always act like you're always alone and stuff?" I asked, crossing my arms.

He just looked at me. "Funny, but you're the first person to ever ask me this. Did Kankuro tell you about me? About what's inside of me?"

I shrugged. "Nope. He didn't have to. I know what's inside of you."

He peered at me, like a deer looks at a pair of headlights. (Oooh.. Pretty colors!) "So if you're so smart, tell me."

I sighed and got up. I made my way over to him and stopped right in front of him. "You have a soul, just like every other person. Don't let those nitwits tell you otherwise or I'll knock 'um in."

I know what I just said sounded like that cheesy crud you hear on sappy movies (which I enjoy, thank you very much.), but I meant it. I spent my time watcing people on the show run away from him like he was the Naruto style of Godzilla. (Gayaka! Gayaka!)

I walked out of his room and stood outside his doorway. Great skittles above, now he seriously must think I'm a rabied mongoose! I shook my head and found my way to the next door. It had a small T engraved in it, so I immediately knew that it was Temari's room.

I knocked on the door, only to hear "Who's there?" I sighed. "It's Esther. Can I come in?" I heard a light thud, and the door opened.

"Come in." Temari, said, ushering me inside. I came in and saw that her room resembled my to the extremes. There was a large bookcase, equally large bed, and a table scattered with papers. The only difference was that her room was painted red and mine was painted a sky blue.

"Is Gaara being mean to you?" she asked as I looked around.

I shook my head. "Of course not. I was just wondering what I was supposed to wear tonight. "

She looked at my outfit and sighed. "Well, for now, I have some shorts that you can borrow and I'll get you a shirt."

Temari rummaged around in her closet for a moment, and returned with a pair of black shorts. She peered at me, and mumbled something under her breath. "GAARA! Get your butt in here!" She yelled, shaking the walls of the room. (Now I know why Shikamaru called her scary in the series. Sheesh.)

Gaara scrambled into her room, and leaned against the doorway. "What?" he asked, sounding slightly irratated.

"I want you to lend Esther one of your shirts. Got it?" Temari said, peering at him. Gaara looked at her and sighed. "Fine."

He walked out of the room, and returned shortly with a short sleeved red shirt. "Is this okay?" he asked, peering at me.

I nodded and he handed it to me. He walked out of the room, making Temari sigh. "I really try to be nice to him, you know? It's not easy being the only girl in the family!"

Great Boggy, was she right! Being the only girl in the family was like being a pure bred cat in a pig sty. Oy Vey! "I know what your saying. That's why us girls need to stick together."

She smiled and nodded. "You're right. The bathroom is the room right before the stairs. Good night."

Oh Boggy, was she actually being nice to me? Hoopla! "Night!" I said, leaving her room. I walked down the hallway, to see Kankuro waiting outside his room. His face paint was off, and he looked like a regular teenage boy. (I wish that he was sane enough to one day go without it!)

"Hey." He said, as I stopped by the door. "Hi!" I responded, giving him a smile.

"Listen, if Gaara is ever mean to you at night, my room is always open." He gave a wink.

Plainly, I was grossed out. (Er lack! Ew! -frantic squeals of disgust- Gross!) I nodded and made my way down the hallway. I opened up the door to the bathroom and locked the door.

"What in the name if Boggy Jones and Tammy Dodger does he think he's doing?!" I thought to the ceiling as I changed. Temari's shorts fit just fine, but Gaara's shirt was like a tent on me. (Hey! Where'd the circus go? I'm sure it's in here somewhere!)

I giggled to see that the shirt almost brushed my knees. I gathered up my other clothes and made my way back to Gaara's room. The door was closed, so I knocked.

Gaara opened the door, already in his night attire as well. (Pjs if you like. Whatever, they're the same boggy thing!) He looked so gorgy and amazing! (Just like every other time I see him. Sheesh, am I a fangirl!) "Night."

I walked to the bed and sighed. "Night, Gaara." I totally forgot about that gross er lacky incident with Kankuro, and fell asleep in the moonlight hat came in through the small windows on the far wall. This emo corner wasn't too shabby.

**AN**: Next chappie will be better! I'm glad that you're reading this story temari.fl! Please keep reviewing! Happy New Year!


	5. Trips Galore

**Chapter 5: Trips Galore**

Temari and I spent a good part of the day shopping in the village. It wasn't exactly like going to the mall, but it was enjoyable. I came out of those stores dressed like a regular village girl. And by Boggy Jones, I didn't look half bad!

So here's what my outfit looks like. (If you are one of the few people who don't like fashion and clothes talk, by Jones just skip over this paragraph!) I wore a navy blue , v-neck, 3/4 sleeve shirt that went down to about my mid-thigh. Underneath it, was a fish net-y shirt that fit snugly. Then, I had a black pair of tight shorts that ended just above my knee. To finish it off, I had a gray sash and matching gray fingerless gloves. Shoes, the same boring black open toe boots as everyone else. By Boggy did I love this outfit!

While we were shopping, the strangest thing happened. Temari actually accepted me and talked to me like I was her pal! By Boggy, was I happier than a cat in a mouse filled house! Most of the stuff she talked about was the village and Konoha. I wondered if she was going to talk about Shikamaru, and sure enough, she slipped. I was right!

All the way back, we talked and laughed like we were sisters. (Actually, I wouldn't mind having her as a sister. She's pretty nifty!)

We got back to the house and I knocked on the door. Sure enough, cat man opened it. He stood there stunned, and smiling like an idiot. "Wow, Esther! You look really pretty!" He congratulated.

I blushed. "Thanks Kankuro!" (I guess that getting a compliment from cat man wasn't a bad thing. Right?)

He let us into the house, and we made our way down to Temari's room. Sadly, my bed was already in there, perfectly made and spotless. "Gaara loves to get the job done as quickly as possible. Kankuro, on the other hand, is as lazy as they make 'um." Temari said, plopping down onto her bed.

I laughed and sat down next to her. "I guess you're right!" There was soon a knock at the door. "Come in!" Temari called.

The door opened and Gaara stepped in. "Lunch is ready you two." Temari nodded and nudged me. "Go show him your new outfit." I felt my face heat up. "He doesn't have to see it. It doesn't really matter, does it?"

She giggled and made a pouty face. "Come on, Esther! Every girl should get a chance to show off how beautiful she is. Maybe, you'll even work some magic on Gaara!"

There was no point in arguing. I got up and twirled around. "What do you think Gaara? Do I look alright?" I asked, facing him.

He twitched a bit, but in the cute way. "You look.. Pretty." He mumbled only loud enough for me to hear, and walked out of the door.

I followed him out and tapped him on the shoulder. He whisked around, and peered at me. Oh Boggy. Was he mad at me?

"What do you want?" he asked, a hint of irritation on his voice.

"Thanks for letting me stay in your room last night. I hope that I wasn't a hassle, or that I invaded your space." I said with sincerity. The last thing I anted was for Gaara to hate me.

He just peered at me and turned around again. "You didn't bother me. I wish mire of our guests were like you."

I froze. He wished that more people were like me? Hot Boggy!!

I walked behind him up the stairs, and sat down quietly at the table. I wasn't sure what to say anymore. I always liked Gaara in the series because I knew that there was no way on the world that he would like me. Now that I was here in his world, there was every possibility. Oh boggy, was I confused.

Kankuro served us lunch, and talked to me the whole time. I laughed at his jokes and answered all of his questions. I could tell that he liked me, but I didn't like him back.

Strangely, Gaara asked me a question. "What was your favorite thing to do in your village?"

I forgot about the stupid village I made up, and thought about home. "My favorite thing to do was care for animals." He nodded. "What kind of animals?"

I sighed. "There's too many to list, but any animal that was in need." He peered at me like I was crazy. "Why should you help a animal that no one cares for? Why not let it die?" I glared at him, and clenched my hand tightly around my fork. "Animals have souls, too, you know! Think about it! If a human was left out on the street or in the wilderness and you had the choice to save it, wouldn't you save it?"

His blue eyes drilled through to my soul. "No, I wouldn't. People who show care for other creatures that do not affect them show their weakness. I'm not weak."

I couldn't take it any more. I threw my fork down on y plate and ran down to Temari's room. "Esther!" Kankuro called, but I didn't stop.

I ran into her room, and ran into my bed. Hit my head on the wall, but it didn't matter. "Why is he so mean to me?!" I screamed into my pillow. I was about to say I hated him, but I didn't. I just sobbed into my pillow.

There was a knock at the door. "Go away!" I yelled. The door opened anyway, and Gaara stepped in. "What do you want?" I murmured, trying to hide my tear stained face in the pillow.

"Look, Esther. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. It's just..it's just that I never could relate to you, and I wanted a glimpse at what it was like." He said, confusing the skittles out of me. "What do you mean?" I asked, looking up at him.

"I don't know what it's like to actually be able to care for something, or someone. You probably don't know, but I'm different. People shunned me, leaving me alone in the dark with no care. I just tend to feel a bit jealous at people like you who can give out care so freely. I'm sorry."

That was the first time I had ever heard Gaara apologize to anyone. He struggled to say it, but what he said broke through. "Don't be jealous. People who give care, sometimes get selfish and demand care back. Anyway, I accept you apology."

Gaara tensed a bit, and I swore that there was a smile slightly on his face. "You remind me of him." I knew who he was talking about, but I played along. "Who's this he?"

"Uzamaki Naruto. You probably don't know him, but he's a person who taught me to care." He was giving me a compliment, but ,er lack, Naruto wasn't a character I grew to like a lot. (But without him, there would be no show. -dramatic sigh-)

I smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Gaara." He just shrugged. "Clean your face up, because we're leaving for Baki's, our sensei, office." He ordered, making me giggle.

At Baki's office..

Kankuro knocked on the door, and Baki's booming voice called, "Come in!" They had all warned me that he sounded mean, but that he was actually a pretty nice man. I gulped and made my way into the office, behind Gaara.

Baki was standing up at his office, beaming at us. Once his gaze fell on me, he came over. "So you must be thus visitor Kankuro was talking about. Your name is?"

I smiled. "Esther, sir." He laughed. "Well, it's nice to meet you, miss Esther."

He motioned for us to sit down on the couch beside us. Kankuro, Temari, and I all sat down, while Gaara leaned against the wall, since there was no more room on the couch. "Why did you call us here, Baki?" Gaara asked, cutting to the point as usual.

"Well, I have a sort of mission for all of you, including Esther." I gulped. "Even me? But I'm not even a ninja!" Baki laughed. "Don't worry. It's simple. I want you just to deliver some documents to the Hokage in Konoha and spend a few days there, relaxing."

Temari laughed. "That sounds more like a set vacation than a mission." Kankuro laughed. "That's fine! Better than nothing!"

Baki smiled. "Good, good. I already sent a note to the Hokage that you four were coming. You are to leave immediately tomorrow morning."

Gaara sighed. "Fine."

Baki turned to me. "I hope that you enjoy it Esther. It was nice meeting you."

I smiled and nodded. "Same to you."

Oh great skittles and pancakes! I was going to Konoha! Hoopla!!

AN: Ah, I can't wait to write the next chapter! Thanks to Temari.fl, Selene98, and evil-bunny-lover for reviewing! You rock a bunch!


	6. The Gathering

Memo: This takes place three days later.. Enjoy!

**Chapter 6: The Gathering**

It was a pretty exciting trip to Konoha for me. By boggy, the landscape was pretty much the same: desert or forest. Temari talked to me about her friends, and Kankuro joined in sometimes. Gaara.. He was silent like usual.

We didn't rush, so we got to the clearing, on the edge of Konoha, around midday on the third day. Once we got onto the path, we saw a large group of people waiting at the gate. In the name of Boggy Jones, I thought that I was going to faint.

Once we got closer, I could see the people. All the characters that I had seen on the show, were there in the flesh. Hoopla!

Kankuro laughed and whispered something to Temari, who nodded and giggled. Gaara's face lightened up, and I was glad to see him cheering up. He resembled and emo most of the trip here.

"Gaara! Temari! Kankuro!" Naruto greeted, pushing out of the crowd. He walked right up to me and smiled. "I'm Naruto Uzamaki! You must be the visitor Granny Tsunadae was talking about!"

I nodded. Kankuro laughed and smacked Naruto on the back. "Move it! You're scaring her!"

Naruto sighed and went over to Gaara, who gave him a slight smile. Kankuro coughed and got everyone's attention. "Guys, I'd like you to meet Esther. Everyone introduce yourselves."

They smiled and Lee stepped out. "I am Rock Lee. It is nice to meet you, Esther!" I smiled. "Nice to meet you, too."

Akamaru jumped out of the crowd, and ran up to me. I giggled, and stroked his white, fluffy head. He barked and rolled over, and I scratched his belly. Kiba stepped out. "Akamaru!"

I giggled and looked up at Kiba. "Is this your dog?" He nodded. "Yep, that's Akamaru. I'm Kiba." Akamaru licked my cheek, and jumped into my arms. I cooed a cute little saying to him and handed him over to Kiba. "It's very nice to meet both of you."

Tenten stepped up next, nudging Neji along with her. "Hi, I'm Tenten!" She greeted, ramming Neji in the side. "Ow.. I'm Neji."

I held in a giggle and smiled. "Nice to know both of ya'll." Sakura and Ino stepped. "Hi, I'm Sakura." She said, her pink head, bobbing. Oh merde.. Ino snorted and smiled. "Hey, I'm Ino!"

They were the brainless fangirls that I saw everyday on my street. Oh skittles and pancakes. They squealed as Sasuke came up, pulling Hinata and Shino with him. "I'm Sasuke Uchiha." Hinata froze, and gave me a quick smile. "H..h..Hi. I'm Hinata. It's nice to meet you, Esther-kun."

I smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet both of you." Shino looked at me. "I'm Shino." he said in that soft voice, that was so nifty. "Nice to meet ya."

Shikamaru and Chouji stepped up. "Oi, I'm Shikamaru." He greeted in that bored tone of voice that made me smile. (If only Erin could be here...xD) "Hey, Shikamaru." Chouji smiled. "I'm Chouji. What's your favorite flavor of potato chips?"

Ino groaned. You know what? Meeting her in person made me dislike her even more. Oh skittles and Boggy Jones. I sighed and smiled at him. "I like regular ones." He smiled and nodded. "I could guess."

Kankuro laughed. "I think that that's everyone. You guys make her feel welcome, okay?"

Ino snorted. "Why? Is she your girlfriend , or Gaara's?"

If Kankuro wasn't standing right in front of me, I would have duffed her. I looked over at Gaara, who was shooting her a death glare. Temari stiffled a forced laugh. "Enough, guys. We need to go to the Hokage's office and our hotel rooms, so move."

The group dispersed, and I saw Shikamaru throw Temari a glance. "Troublesome woman.." He murmured, walking away. Temari smiled for a second, but hid it. "I heard that, Mr. Cry Baby!" she called after him.

Kankuro sighed and relaxed. "That Ino chick is no good. But don't worry, I know her weakness."

So did I. It was her love for Sasuke. And I had the perfect plan to get back at her. It was one little word: Party.


	7. Here's the deal

AN: Okay let me just say this now so that it makes more sense later on.. Everyone in Naruto's age group are 16. Making Tenten, Lee, Neji, and Kankuro 17, and Temari 18. Shippuden doesn't happen and hasn't happened. Thanks for all the great reviews! You guys are awesome! -applauds you-

**Chapter 7:Here's the Deal**

The rest of the day went by fairly quickly. And after meeting Tsunadae, I was downright tired. By boggy, show me the way to the hotel! Finally, we did head back to our hotel rooms, and I tuned to the sibs. Time to put the Party Plan in action!

"I really like Konoha. Thanks for letting me come with you guys." I said, giving them a warm smiled.

They all nodded. "No problem, Esther! We love having you with us. Right?" Temari said, nudging Kankuro and Gaara.

"Well, before we go, I have one little favor." I asked, trying to sound casual.

"What is it?" Gaara asked plainly.

"Could you help me round up all of our friends tomorrow? There's something I want to ask all of you."

Kankuro nodded. "We'd love to. But what do you want to ask all of us?"

Ha! Like I'd tell you now, cat man. I just smiled. "I told you. You'll find out tomorrow."

The guys shrugged and went to their own hotel room. Temari tried to figure out what it was, but she eventually gave up. I went to sleep, anxious for tomorrow to come! By Boggy Jones, we were hopefully going to par-tay!

I woke up to someone tapping me. Ngh.. Ten more minutes, please! I opened my eyes anyway to see Temari smiling. "Good morning, Esther. Sleep well?"

I nodded and sat up. Temari was fully awake and already dresses. "Everyone's waiting for you. We're all dying to know what's on your mind."

I jumped out of bed and got dressed. By Boggy! I was late! After I thought that I looked half decent, Temari led the way to a small clearing near the edge of the village.

Everyone was there, just like she said. They were chatting amongst themselves. Once they saw me and Temari, they all shut up. Oh skittles.

Temari patted my shoulder and went to it down with th rest of the group. "What's all this about?" Naruto asked, with the others nodding in agreement.

I sighed. "The thing is, I'd really like to know all of you better. I don't know when the next time I'll be able to come back to Konoha. So I was thinking, maybe, we could throw a little party together."

This got everyone talking. Oh skittles and pancakes above. Finally, Lee spoke up. "I think that is a great idea!"

I nodded. "That's good to hear. So if we're throwing a party, then we'll need to figure out the details."

Kiba spoke up. "Well, if we're going to have a party, somebody has to be in charge. I say let Esther be it, since it was her idea."

The others nodded n agreement. Ino snickered, but I chose to ignore her. "First off, we need a place to throw the party . Who hear wouldn't mind holding our little party?"

It was silent for a minute or two. Then, Sasuke raised his hand. "You can have it at my place, if you all promise to clean up and not mess up anything."

The fangirls squealed and murmured amongst themselves, but they stopped as I purposely coughed. Oh Boggy Jones, save me now! "Thanks, Sasuke. We promise. Okay, the next part will kinda be like a mission."

Lee was the only one who sounded excited. Dear Tammy Dodger... "The next thing we need to do is bring in supplies. Does anyone here have any items they wouldn't mind bringing for the party?"

Choji raised his hand. "I can bring food." I smiled and nodded. "That's great. Thanks Choji." He smiled.

Ino raised her dainty little hand. "I can bring flowers and decorations. Good with you?" I just nodded and gave her a somewhat forced smile.

Tenten waved her hand around. "I have some cds and a stereo. Is that okay?"

I nodded. "You can't have a party without the music."

Kiba looked up. "I can bring drinks." I smiled. "That works with me."

It was silent for a moment. Then, Shikamaru raised his hand. "I guess that I can bring in playes and stuff like that. It shouldn't be too troublesome." I held in a giggle. "That's awesome. It think that's all we need. The party will be tonight at six. Do you all think you can make it?"

Everyone one nodded, except for Hinata. "Esther-kun, Shino and I have to train tonight. I don't think we'll be able to make it."

Aw man! I gave her a sad smile. "If you have to train, go on ahead. We'll all miss you at the party. Well, if that's all, all the people who are bringing supplies should be here at four with your stuff. Sasuke, you should probably be here, too."

They all nodded and got up. The sand sibs made their way over to me. "You are so smart! Why didn't we ever think of throwing a party?" Kankuro said, picking me up.

I giggled and was put back down. Temari was all excited. This was going to be awesome! Hoopla!


	8. Partay!

An: This will probably be the last chapter I'll be posting this week... Meh! (School starts tomorrow..-tear-) Enjoy and keep reviewing!

**Chapter 8: Let the Fun Begin! Par-tay!!**

At four, everyone was back with their stuff, just like I asked. We gathered up the supplies and I was so glad that they all were excited to have the party.

"Since you all are here, do you mind helping me decorate?" I asked, looking around.

Everyone nodded. Hot Boggy!! "It would be easier if we spilt up into two man teams." Shikamaru said, using that 200+ IQ. I nodded. "That's right! The groups will be.." I sat and thought for a moment. Ino was sure going to hate me. "Choji and Ino, Shikamaru and Temari, Kiba, Akamaru, and Tenten, Sasuke and Kankuro, and Gaara and me. Anyone have any problems?"

Ino looked kind of angry, but she didn't say anything. Hoopla! We made our way to Sasuke's apartment, where we broke off into our pairs. Gaara stopped me before I got inside. "Didn't ou want to work with Kankuro?"

I shrugged. "It's fine. You okay working with me?"

He sighed. "I guess."

The teams worked great! Sasuke and Kankuro set up things in the kitchen, while Choji and Ino and Gaara and I decorated the apartment. Kiba, Akamaru, and Tenten set up the stereo and rearranged the living room. Shikamaru and Temari cleaned up, and helped organize the stuff.

A little bit before six, we were all finished. We all relaxed on Sasuke's couch until the door bell started ringing. In the name of Boggy Jones, let the party begin!!

The party was amazing and marvy! Tenten had brought some colored lights, so the living room was transformed into an awesome dance floor!

The music started pumping, so I couldn't help but dance. Akamaru joined in, and it made everyone laughed! Most of them resisted dancing, but they finally gave in. I danced with everyone and it was so marvy! I went from person to person, laughing and dancing. (More like guy to guy, but it was fun!)

There was only one person not enjoying themself. Gaara. He stood in the corner, all by himself. I wanted to bring him down, but that would only embarrass him.

When everyone was tired, I turned off the music and colored light. I told everyone to hod on and I ran up to the kitchen. I found an empty bottle and made my way over to Gaara.

"Come on Gaara. You'll like this game." I said, swinging the bottle in front of his face.

He shrugged. "I don't do games or parties. Go ahead and enjoy yourself."

I gave him my famous puppy dog pout. "Please? For me?"

He stared at me, but he finally gave in. "Fine."

Gaara followed me back to the living room. The group loooked uo at me as I stood in front of them. I swung the bottle around in my hand. "Anyone up for a little truth or dare?"

The group smiled and it was on!

An: Short chapter, I know.. The next chapter will be very funny. Thanks to all of you who are reviewing. I couldn't check all my reviews so I can't name all of ya! You rock!


	9. Truth? Or Dare?

**Chapter 9: Truth ? Or Dare?**

Everyone pushed the couches to the far walls of the living room. We all sat down in a large circle, the bottle in the middle.

"You all know how to play, right?" I asked, looking around. Everyone nodded, even Gaara. (Wow! I didn't know he did!)

I smiled and clapped my hands. "Alright! The rules are no sex, gross stuff, or something that will make the person feel violated. Who wants to go first?"

Lee raised his hand. "I will!" He spun the bottle, and we held our breaths. It landed on.. "Naruto!" we all called as it stopped on him. Oh Boggy Jones, was this going to be interesting! "Naruto-kun, truth or dare?" Lee asked.

Naruto grinned. "Dare, bushy brows!" Lee grinned back, and though for a minute or so. "I dare you.. To change clothes with Sasuke!"

All of us gasped. What an awesome dare! Sasuke just stared at Naruto, whose mouth was hanging open. Sasuke sighed. "Come on, Naruto."

Naruto got up and they left the room for a few minutes. They came back, and it was so funny!! Naruto had Sasuke's black shirt and khaki shorts, while Sasuke was wearing Naruto's orange and blue jumpsuit. I fell, over laughing, and I wasn't alone.

They sat down and laughed too. Naruto grabbed the bottle. "Okay! My turn!" He spun it and it stopped at.. "Temari!" We all cried. Naruto grinned. "Truth or dare?"

Temari crossed her arms. "Truth." Some people sighed, but they all wanted to know his question. He thought for a second, but then turned to face Temari.."Is it true that you wear fishnet because Shikamaru does, too?" He asked.

Her face heated up for a moment, but she growled. "Of course not! I like fish net! Who cares what Mr. Cry Baby wears?!" Some of the girls snickered, and Temari spun the bottle. It landed on..

"Ino!" We all cried, to she her smiling confidently. "Truth or Dare?" Temari asked, grinning. She was planning something. "Dare!" Ino cried confidently.

Temari sat and thought, then peered at Ino. "I dare you to sit next to Choji and let him put his arm around you!!" Ino's mouth hung open for a moment, but she sighed. She got up and sat next to Choji. He looked a bit startled, but he put his arm around her.

"Awww!" the girls said, making Ino frown. She grabbed the bottle and it stopped at..

"Esther!" the others cried. Oh great skittles and pancakes. Ino grinned with a hint of evil. "Truth or dare, Esther?" she asked. I smiled. "Dare."

She looked around the room and smiled. "I dare you to sit in Gaara's lap the rest of the night."

What in the name of Boggy Jones and Tammy Dodger?!?! People gasped, and Temari and Kankuro looked on in interest. I smiled. "Fine."

I got up and moved to the corner, where Gaara was sitting. His gorgey blue eyes were staring at me, but he made room for me sit. I sat down on him. He was warm and comfy. I grabbed the bottle and spun it. It landed on..

"Kiba!" The group cried. I smiled. "Truth or dare?" He crossed his arms. "I say, truth."

I had one question to ask him. "Is it true that you were born in the summer?"

He nodded. "Yep, I was born on July 7th!" I gasped and smiled. "Seriously?! Me too!" He smiled and came over to me. He picked me up and gave me a hug. "Yes! You're like my twin sister that I've never known!"

I giggled and sat back down on Gaara. Kiba took the bottle and spun it. It went round and round, then stopped at .. "Sakura!" we all cried. Kiba laughed. "Truth or dare?" She grinned. "Dare!"

He sighed and thought for a minute. "I dare you.. To give Sasuke a hug and a kiss on the cheek!"

She almost fell over. "What?!" He laughed. "You heard me, Sakura. Go on and do your dare!"

Sasuke looked a bit uncomfortable. Sakura sighed and made her way over to him. She gave him a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. They both were blushing , and the rest of us went "Awww!"

Sakura picked up the bottle and spun it. It stopped pretty close to Shikamaru. "Okay, Shikamaru. Truth or dare?" he asked, peering at him. He sighed. "Dare, even thought it's probably going to be troublesome."

Sakura laughed and sighed. "Hm...I dare you too.." A smile crossed her face. "I dare you to kiss Temari, cheek or lips, and let your hair down!" The whole room gasped. A blush spread on both Shikamaru's and Temari's faces. Gaara chuckled "This will be interesting." He whispered on my ear. I giggled.

Shikamaru helped Temari to her feet. He scratched his hand and pulled in for a kiss. On the lips!! It was so adorable! "Awwww! Shikamaru and Temari!" We all teased.

They stopped and Temari sat down, blushing her head off. Shikamaru sat down and tried to get the bottle from Sakura. "Uh uh, mister. Hair down." She said, pointing to his ponytail. He muttered something like "Troublesome woman..", but he pulled the band out of his hair. It fell neatly to his shoulders and if I could say, he didn't look bad. (Yet another moment when I wished that Erin was here.)

Sakura nodded and Temari's blush deepened. She hid her face in her hands. Shikamaru nudged her, and she looked up. He spun the bottle and it stopped at.. "Gaara!" we all cried. I heard him sigh. "Truth or dare, Gaara?" Shikamaru asked. "Dare." Gaara replied.

What in the name of Boggy Jones?! Shikamaru laughed. "Hm..I dare you to hug a girl and tell her something nice, excluding your sister." Gaara sighed. "Fine. I choose Esther."

WHAT IN THE NAME OF TAMMY DODGER AND BOGGY JONES?! Did he say me?! He helped me to my feet and he looked really uncomfortable. He came over and gave me a hug. "You're sweet and beautiful." he murmured in my ear.

I blushed and felt like melting into a pool on the floor. He told me I was beautiful!! Oh skittles and pancakes! Hoopla!! He sat back down and I sat down in his lap. My heart was beating so fast, I was surprised that I didn't faint.

Gaara spun the bottle and it landed on Tenten "Tenten!" We all cried. "Truth or dare?" Gaara asked. She giggled. "Truth." He sighed. "Is it true that you like Neji?"

All of the girls gasped. Neji looked to her, and she blushed. "Yeah." She muttered, hiding her face in her lap. Neji smiled and patted her on the back. We all sighed. Poor Tenten. Neji whispered something to her, and she nodded. She grabbed the bottle and gave it a spin. It stopped at Kankuro.

"Truth or dare?" She asked peering at him. He laughed. "Dare." She smiled and laughed. "I dare you to give Naruto a purple nurple!" We all broke out in laughter. Naruto looked like a cat who was about to be given a bath. Oh skittles was it funny! Kankuro got up and gave him a purple nurple. Naruto winced in pain, but it was so funny! I practically fell over laughing so hard.

Then, I noticed how dark it was outside. "I guess it's time to call it quits, guys." I said. They moaned, but smiled. "Thanks for throwing the party, Esther!" They all called, coming over to give me a hug. I got off of Gaara and gave each of them a hug.

Kiba laughed as he left. "See ya around, twin sis!" I laughed and helped the group clean up. We were done in like half an hour. We said goodnight to Sasuke and went back to the hotel rooms. Kankuro was bothering Temari about her kiss, but all she did was smile her head off.

Gaara didn't say anything, and just walked next to me. I wasn't sure what to say after what had happened tonight. It was like a never-ending ocean of awkwardness.

We got to the hotel room, and Temari and Kankuro went inside, laughing and chatting. I was about to go inside, when Gaara got hold of my wrist.

He pushed me up against the wall. "Truth or dare?"

AN: This was such a fun chapter to write! Selene98, I hope that you enjoyed it for the most part. Thanks to all of you who have been reviewing! You are marvy to the extremes!


	10. The truth revealed

**Chapter 10: The Truth**

I gulped. "Dare."

Gaara chuckled. "I thought you'd say that. I dare you to listen and tell me what you really think. Got it?"

I nodded. "Okie poke." What in the name of Boggy Jones was he going to tell me?

"You may not know this, but I ave a monster inside of me. I've been shunned all of my life, and though it may not look like it, Temari and Kankuro are scared of me. No one wanted to be friends with me, except for Naruto. Everyone thinks that I am going to turn on them and kill them. I don't want to be alone anymore. I 'm lonely and no one gives me the chance to let them understand me. I think that you do though. Since I met you, you've never once been mean to me."

Gaara started to cry. Not a sob fest, but it went through to my soul. He wanted me to pull him out of the pit of loneliness that he had been trapped in for all of his life. Gaara was type of person who needed my care the most. What was I going to do?

Oh Boggy Jones. This was something that me and my friends joked about. This time, it was real. Gaara did like me for real. This was like a reality check for me. "Gaara, I understand what your saying. I won't let you be alone anymore. I care for you, more than anyone else."

He stared at me. "You don't like Kankuro?"

I shook my head. "He was really nice to me and I'm grateful. But things wouldn't work out because I love you, Gaara." I leaned closer and kissed him on the cheek. His tears stained my lips, but it didn't matter.

I pulled away and Gaara let go of my wrist. "I love you too, Esther." He came closer and kissed me. It was soft and gentle, and I melted into him. It was better than any stupid fairytale kiss you could watch on a movie.

We let go and Gaara did the weirdest thing. He smiled. It was one of those gorgey smiles that would make all the Sasuke fangirls melt into a puddle of smuck at the sight of it. I couldn't help but smile back.

Gaara held out his pinky. "Not word of this to Temari or Kankuro. Let's just make this our little secret, okay?"

I nodded and attached my pinky with his. He squeezed it for a second, and let go. "Sleep tight, Esther." He said, opening the door to his hotel room.

"Night, Gaara." I said. I walked a few steps and got to my hotel room. Temari was sitting on her bed, combing her hair. She was smiling non-stop. "Thanks so much for having the party! It meant so much to me!"

I smiled and nodded. "No problem. I enjoyed it, too." She went on about stuff, but I was half listening. I hummed some lines of my favorite song, and changed into my night clothes. Temari sighed. "I'm sorry."

I gave her a confused look. "What are you talking about?" She laughed. "I'm sorry that you had to sit in Gaara's lap. You looked so uncomfortable."

Oh Boggy Jones. She was so wrong! I shrugged. "It was okay. A dare is a dare." She nodded. "You're right. Well, night."

"Night, Juliet. Have some sweet dreams about your Romeo." I teased, as I turned off the lights. She giggled and gave a sleepy sigh. I slipped into bed, and waited until I heard the faint snoring of Temari.

I started to cry. It was a mix of joy and sadness. I was happy that Gaara loved me , but I felt like I was now carrying a part of his burden. I fell asleep, to the thought of Gaara and how mush he cared for me.

AN: The stupid romance chapter. You all knew it was coming, so here it is. Much more to come! Thanks for all of you guys who review! A special thanks to Selene98 who told me to post this chapter! You rock a ton!

If you liked this story, go on and read Teach me something new. It's Selene98's naruto world journey!


	11. These Haunting Shadows

**Chapter 11: I guess you're right..**

I woke up the next day to the blinding rays of the sun. I groaned and got up out of bed. The images of what had happened the night before came to mind. My hand went immediately to my lips. I smiled and jumped out of bed.

I got dressed quietly, since Temari was still asleep, a smile frozen on her slumbering face. Oh skittles, she looked so cute! I got dressed, and tied the matching blue ribbon into my hair.

The was a quick rap on the door. I went over quietly and opened it. On the other side stood Shikamaru. "Hey, Shikamaru." I whispered.

He scratched his head. "Oi, Esther. Is Temari awake?" I giggled. "Nope, but she will be. I'll send her down, okay?"

He smiled. "Thanks." He walked down the hallway and I closed the door. I tiptoed over to Temari and tapped her lightly on the shoulder. She moaned, and turned the other way. "Five more minutes, please. It is a vacation."

I giggled. "Shikamaru's waiting for you." She immediately jumped out of bed. "What?! When did he come up?!" She screamed, yanking on her kimono.

I laughed so hard, I fell off the bed. I hit my butt on the hard wooden floor, but kept laughing. She was just so funny! She shook her head and was about to step out the door, her hair still down.

"Hold up, Temari! Your hair!" I said, between breaths. She smacked her head and put them up into her regular four ponytails. She came over and gave me a hug. "Thanks, Esther! You're a life saver!"

I immediately thought of the literal live saver and started laughing again. She gave me a look and rushed out of the door. I stopped laughing and got up. My butt hurt a bit, but it was worth it. By Boggy Jones, that was like the funniest thing I had seen in a while.

I waited a few minutes, and headed out of the hotel room. Kankuro and Gaara were casually talking, looking off to the right. I stepped behind them and coughed. Kankuro kinda jumped, and they both turned around.

"Hey, Esther. Sleep well?" Kankuro asked, giving me a smile.

I nodded. "Of course. What were you guys looking at?"

He gave me a sour look. "That Shikamaru came around to pick up Temari. We were watching them walk off together. It was the funniest thing. Me and Gaara were betting on how fast Shikamaru was going to ask her out."

I giggled. "What are your bets?"

Kankuro laughed. "I say, tomorrow night."

I turned to Gaara. 'What about you?"

He shrugged. "Tonight."

I nodded. "Okay, so what's the wager?"

Kankuro blushed. Gaara sighed. "The wager is a date with you. It was Kankuro's idea."

What in the name of Boggy Jones?! What was going on here? Kankuro shot Gaara a glare. "Yeah, well you agreed Gaara!"

Gaara shrugged. "I did. Both people have to agree in order for it to be an even bet. Well, Naruto asked for Esther and me to meet up with him in the forest."

Kankuro shot him another glare. "For what?!" Gaara sighed. "I don't know. You needed Esther for something?"

Kankuro growled. "No. Actually, Kiba and Neji wanted to hang out. Oh, he needs to see Esther for a second."

Gaara sighed. "Who?" Kankuro laughed. "Who do you think? Her 'twin bro'."

I giggled. "That's fine. I guess we can all go to Kiba's house and then go and do what we need to do. Sounds fine to you two?"

They both crossed their arms. "Fine." They replied at the same time.

I started walking and they followed. Kankuro talked about how awesome the party was, and Gaara just sulked and looked at the scenery. I talked and nodded, and they soon stopped walking. "Welcome to Kiba's house." Kankuro said, above the sound of dogs' barks.

Kiba came out, with little Akamaru on his head. "Oi! How are you guys?" He asked, giving us a smile

"Great!" I replied, while the other two just grumbled, making Kiba laugh. "Esther, I have a little favor to ask you."

"What is it?" I asked. He laughed. "Do you mind watching Akamaru for me? I would usually ask my older sis, but she's out on a mission. Plus, we have this twin vibe, so he'd feel most comfortable with you."

I nodded. "No problem! I love Akamaru!" Akamaru barked happily and Kiba picked him up. Akamaru gave him a affectionate lick on the face and Kiba laughed and put him down.

Akamaru barked and ran around my feet. Oh Boggy, he was the most adorable thing ever! I picked him up and he barked happily.

Kiba smiled. "Well, we should be off. Just drop Akamaru off whenever."

I smiled. "Okay!" We walked off, leaving Kiba and Kankuro. Gaara just walked and I followed, I let Akamaru down, and he walked in front of us, chasing a cute little butterfly.

"So, what does Naruto want to do with us?" I asked, casually walking beside him. "I don't know. Probably just wants to talk."

I nodded, and Gaara led the way into the forest. We walked for a bit, then we got to a small clearing. Gaara relaxed against a tree, so I decided to sit down as well.

Akamaru came and sat in my lap, and I giggled. It was kind of awkward, so I looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful blue with a few wispy clouds floating across it. "Have you ever wondered why the sky is blue?"

Gaara looked up. "Well, think about. If the sky was red, it would look murderous and evil. If it would be green, it would make you dizzy and queasy. If it was yellow, you couldn't see the sun and it would be way too bright. If it was pink, it would look silly. Blue is just the best choice. It's calm and peaceful."

He was right. "I guess you're right. Do you think about stuff like this a lot?" He nodded. Soon, we heard a noise coming from the trees above us. Naruto jumped out, and smiled. "Hiya, guys. Did you have to wait long?"

I shook my head. "Nope. So what do you want to do?"

Naruto grinned. "Want to go for a little walk? Me and Gaar need to catch up and I'd love to know more about you."

I nodded and we got up. Akamaru was tired, so I held him in my arms. The guys talked about stuff that had been going on in their lives and I just listened. They were similar in many ways, but outwardly, so different.

The things they talked about were for only us to hear. It was so sad at timed, when they talked about some days when they had no one to talk to. Gaara more than Naruto. It was so sad.

Naruto tried to cheer up the mood by talking to me. I answered all of his questions and one got to me. "Have you ever been alone?"

I nodded. "Plenty of times. I didn't really fit in, so most days I'd spend in the silence of my own mind."

"Why were you alone?"

"Scars of the past. People, places, the way people see me, but I have to keep going. If I don't I'd be stuck with no one."

Gaara looked over at me. "You don't look like the type of person who is like that."

I tried to cheer up, but a tear fell down my cheek. Oh boggy, don't start crying! "If I don't act happy, I'll start crying and it will never ending. I have to keep running from those demons who ignored me and made me alone."

Naruto nodded. "I get what you're saying. It's tough, isn't it?"

I nodded. "But if you have people who care about you, it seems less painful and hard than it actually is. That's why I'm s happy all the time."

We got back to the clearing, and we parted ways. Gaara walked beside me, and it was so quiet. Akamaru was asleep, so his slow breaths filled the silence. "How can you be so happy? Caring?" He finally asked.

"I have to stand my ground. If I stumble, everything will get to me. You said you were alone. If you didn't keep going everyday, wouldn't you still be alone?"

"I would. You're here now, so I'll be fine." He replied, his emotionless face giving off a hint of happiness.

I smiled. "Of course. You'll be okay if you lose the bet, right?"

He moaned. "Don't bring that up. I only did that so that Kankuro would leave me alone."

I giggled. "I promise that I wont kiss him."

He nodded. "That's fine with me." Kiba's house came into view, the last rays of the sun hitting the pale white walls. I dropped off Akamaru inside, since Kiba still wasn't home. We walked to a ramen booth and grabbed some food, since we hadn't eaten anything.

We ate, and Gaara actually talked a bit. He talked about he had met Naruto and how he wants to become like him. I nodded. It was hard acting like you didn't know this when you already did. We finished eating and Gaara paid for the meal.

We walked back to the hotel, since it was already dark. It was probably about seven or eight. That meant that I spent about 4 hours with Naruto and Gaara. Oh skittles, was that amazing. I could barely stand 1 hour of walking around with my friends. Have I gone crazy?

I walked up to the hotel room, to find Temari sitting inside. She was smiling her head off, again. "What's so happy?" I asked, after we had said hello.

She squealed. "Shikamaru asked me out!" I smiled. "I'm happy for you!" We danced around like the bunch of banana heads we were. After we finished, I grabbed my stuff. "I'm going to tke a shower. Don't do anything stupid, lover girl."

She laughed and I headed into the shower. The thoughts of my past life on Earth flickered in my brain. I shook them off, and drowned them out with the sound of rushing water. I took a bath and sang a happy song.

I got dressed and headed out to the bedroom. Temari and I talked for a bit, until we both yawned after every other word.

She turned off the light and I slipped into bed. I stared at the ceiling for a bit, but then fell asleep because I couldn't keep my eyes open much longer.

There were shadows all around me. I looked at them, and they were circling around me. Everything was gray, except the shadows. They were an eerie black. The voices filled my brain. _You're creepy._

_Go away from us, you geek!_

_Why don't you ever try to fit in? Straightening your hair would help. You wouldn't stick out so much. _

_Stay out of my way! Did I say that I needed your help, stupid?_

I tried to shake the voices out of my head. Those distant voices of the past I tried to forget so hard. I see an opening in between the shadows. I run towards it, but it gets father and father away. The shadows behind me are coming in, engulfing everything into their eerie backness. The opening is now only a tiny white speck, surrounded by the blackness of my shadows. I stumble, and the white speck disappears, the shadows engulfing me now.

I wake up in the pitch black hotel room. My face is wet, and my breathing irregular. I get out of bed, straying away from the sound of Temari's faint snoring. I run, not caring how loud I am. I run out of the hotel, only to find it raining outside. I run down the wet street, the shadows of the night creeping behind me like in my dream. This time, there is no opening at the other side.

I trip on something and fall to the ground, my skin scraping the unsmooth street. I cry and huddle into a small ball. A song rings through my head:

_She never slows down._

_She doesn't know why but she knows that when she's all alone, feels like its all coming down_

_She won't turn around_

_The shadows are long and she fears if she cries that first tear, the tears will not stop raining down_

_So stand in the rain_

_Stand your ground_

_Stand up when it's all crashing down_

_You stand through the pain_

_You won't drown_

_And one day, whats lost can be found_

_You stand in the rain_

_She won't make a sound_

_Alone in this fight with herself and the fears whispering if she stands she'll fall down_

_She wants to be found_

_The only way out is through everything she's running from wants to give up and lie down._

I cried and tried to get the song out of my head. I didn't want to hear, because I knew that it was true. I couldn't hide from my fears anymore. I sat on the street, crying my heart out, the rain drowning me out.

I felt somebody standing in front of me. "Esther? What are you doing out this late?" Gaara whispered. I kept crying. "I can't escape them! My fears!" I whispered back.

He out stretched his hand towards me. "Get up." He said. It wasn't forceful, more like caring. I grabbed his hands and his strong grip pulled me to my feet. I wiped my eyes and he lead the way back to the hotel. The rain poured down harder and Gaara was getting soaked.

"What were you doing up?" I whispered. He sighed. "For your information, I heard you running through the hall. I wake up easily so I got up."

I sighed and we got back to the hotel. "Everything will be fine. Go to bed and if you can't sleep, knock on my door. Kankuro can sleep through an explosion and not wake up." Gaara said, and gave me a hesitant kiss on the head.

I nodded numbly and went over to my room. I got into bed, and fell asleep, the shadows haunting me no more.

**AN:** I am a disclaimer. The song is called "Stand in the Rain" by Superchic[k. Selene98, remember the funky chicken dance?? Ah, the things we do to entertain ourselves.


	12. Gentle Breeze

**Chapter 12: Gentle Breeze**

I woke up to see the gray clouds through the glass window near my bed. I shivered and pulled the covers up. I heard Temari yawn and get up. "Are you awake, Esther?"

I moaned and tried to ignore her. She sighed sadly. "Get up. This is our last day in Konoha.." Oh boggy, I want to sleep! Anyway, I opened my eyes and got up.

Temari got up to dress, so I sat on the edge of my bed, staring out of the window. The dark street popped into my brain and I shook it off. They weren't going to get me!

Temari tapped me on the shoulder, making me jump. She laughed and patted me on the head. "Aw, sorry. What're you thinking about?" I smiled and got up. "Nothing. Just kinda zoned out. Time to get dressed!"

I grabbed my stuff before she could say another word. I slammed the bathroom door and stared at my reflection in the mirrorI was pretty pale, and I looked like I hadn't gotten a full night's sleep. I moaned and got dressed.

Temari was already out of the room, so I headed out of the room. Gaara was waiting outside the hotel, like usual. I came up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and peered at me.

"You look horrible." He said, stating the obvious.

I rolled my eyes. Boys. "I already know that. If anyone asked, I didn't feel good. Got it?"

He shrugged. "I got it. Kankuro woke up late, but he should be out soon. We want to see who won the bet."

I giggled, just as Kankuro stepped out of the room, missing his face paint. "Kankuro, you're not wearing any makeup." Gaara and I said at the same time. He laughed and scratched his head. "Yeah, I just felt like not wearing it today. Do I look weird or something?"

I shook my head. He actually looked like a regular teenage boy! "No! You look fine!" I said, making him smile. Then, he turned to Gaara.

"Do we know who won the bet yet?" Gaara shrugged. "I haven't talked to her since yesterday morning. Esther, do you know?"

I nodded. "He asked her out last night. I guess you won, Gaara." He shrugged. "Okay. You look a bit angry Kankuro." I looked over at Kankuro who was trying to hide his emotions.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'll just ask Esther on a different date. Well, I guess she's all yours today." He gave me a wink and headed off to our right.

"Where'd you think that he's going?"I asked as we watched him walk off. "Probably to Kiba's house. Don't worry about him. He'll get over it."

Gaara started walking to our left, so I just followed. We walked down the street in a silence. "How did you sleep last night?" he asked, looking around at all the street vendors. "It was fine after you know what." I said, trying to make it sound casual.

He stopped at a flower stand. "Blue's your favorite color right?" I nodded. He pointed to a blue lily and handed the vendor some money.

"Here." He handed me the flower and kept walking down the street. I snapped off a part of the stem and put the bud behind my ear. I caught up to him and he chuckled. "Blue suits you well. It sets off your eyes."

I blushed. "Aw, you're so sweet!" The tips of his ears and his face went red, but he kept walking down the street. Oh boggy, he was just so cute!

"So, what are we going to do today?" I asked, clasping my hands out in front of me. "You'll see. If I told you, it'd ruin our whole day."

I laughed. "You planned this all out, huh? I guess you were pretty confident that you were going to win the bet, eh?" He shrugged. "I won you fair and square. Can't argue with that, can you?"

I sighed. "Nope." He stopped walking in front of a food store. "Stay here. I'll be back soon." I sighed and leaned against the store. People passed by me, and gave me a smile or a friendly nod. I smiled back and sighed. People here make life seem so easy.

Gaara came back out with a basket and sighed. "Come on." We started and made it to the forest. He walked in front of me and I followed behind him. I didn't see the tree root, so I tripped, and fell forward.

I waited for the feeling of the cold ground, but instead I felt sand. I opened my eyes, to see Gaara holding his hand out, and sand all around me. I got up and brushed myself off. "You okay?" He asked.

I nodded. "I fine. Thanks for saving me. I guess sand can come in handy." We both laughed and kept walking.

We made it to the same clearing we were in yesterday and Gaara laid out a picnic blanket. I sat down and he sat down across from me. He pulled out some food and we munched on the food. We talked about things that I wouldn't usually talk about with a guy.

We talked about nature and the type of people we didn't like. He told me that he liked to read books, especially ones with happy endings. I told him that I enjoyed singing so he asked me to sing.

I cleared my throat and sang a snippet of a song that was on my mind. He nodded and told me I sand fairly well. I was used to guys ignoring me, so that was a huge compliment.

We both loosened up and Gaara talked in sentences that were more than two words long. I smiled, but then heard a screeching noise.

An object fell from the sky. What in the name of Boggy Jones was it?! Gaara's sand caught it, and he brought it close enough for me to see. It was a small brown bird. It's right wing was bloody and torn.

Gaara sighed. "Let's put it out of its misery." I shook my head. "Don't! Do you know anyone who could heal it??" He nodded. "Sakura could."

I scooped up the bird and we rushed through the forest to Sakura's house. She answered the door and grabbed the bird from me. My hands were stained in its blood, so she sent me off to the bathroom.

I scrubbed my hands like the OCD person I was. After about five minutes, I figured that my hands were clean. I wen back to see Sakura talking to Gaara. She smiled at me. "Your little bird is fine. I'll take care of it for a few days to make sure its wing is completely healed."

I sighed. "That's good. I'm glad that you could help it." We said goodbye to her and we made our way back to our picnic.

The rest of the day went by quickly, and I sure was tired. Sadly, this was our last day in Konoha. The good thing was, I'd always remember it.

AN: Ah, sappy chapters! Thanks to all of you who review! You help make my stories better!


	13. Package

**Chapter 13: The Package**

The next morning, we packed up and headed out to the gate. All of our friends were waiting there, waiting to see us off. By Boggy, I was going to miss all of them!

Kiba came up to me and gave me a hug. "Bye, twin sis! Come back to see us soon, okay? Akamaru liked being with you, right bud?" Akamaru barked and ran around my feet. I petted him and laughed.

Lee came up and gave me a hug, too. "Have a safe travel back to the Sand Village. It was nice meeting you." I nodded. Chouji came up and handed me a bag of regular potato chips. "Just incase you get hungry on the way back." He said, giving me a smile.

Neji just nodded goodbye, while Tenten came up and gave me a hug. "You throw the best parties! Come back soon so we can party again!" I laughed and told her I'd come back as soon as I could.

Naruto came up and gave me a hug. "I'm sure those fears won't haunt you anymore. Watch Gaara for me, okay?" I nodded. "Of course." Sakura came up with the little bird in a cage. "This little bud should be okay to be released tomorrow. Have a safe trip."

Shikamaru came up and just scratched his head. "Bye." I held in a giggle. "Bye, Shikamaru. You sure you'll be alright?" I teased. He laughed. "Of course I will. Make sure she doesn't do anything troublesome, alright?"

I nodded. "Sure." He walked over to Temari and they hugged. We all awed and they just laughed it off. Ino just waved and Sasuke gave a quick wave as well. You can't be friends with everyone in the world.

We said goodbye, and headed back to our real home, the Sand village.

Four days later..

After some pretty rough weather and dry desert conditions, we made it back to the Sand Village. I think Kankuro was the only one who was excited to get back. We entered the village about sunset on the fourth day.

Me, I was tired out of my bazookas. If you had to sleep in a tent for four nights through some pretty rough rain storms, you'd be tried too, trust me. This time, I couldn't wait to get back to that sandy rock thingy they called a house.

We walked down the pretty much deserted street to the house. And that's when I saw it.

There was a package on the doorstep of the house. Once we got to the house, Kankuro peered at it. "Hey Esther, it has your name in it."

I looked at the shape of the plain brown wrapped package and knew what it was immediately. I was positive that inside the package was a painting. I've wrapped plenty of paintings in my life, so I should know what it looks like.

Sad to say, I already knew who sent it as well and what it was doing on the doorstep of the sand sib's house. I sighed, making the three look at me.

AN: Short chapter, but it makes you wonder.. Thanks for all the reviews so far! Please keep it up!


	14. You Wanna Bet?

**Chapter 14: You wanna bet?**

Kankuro picked up the package and looked at me. "The package has your name on it, Esther. Any idea who it's from?"

I did. It was either from my uncle or my family back in the real world that I came from. If I told them that, they'd seriously think that I was crazy or something along those lines. Oh Boggy, this was so confusing. "Nope." I lied.

He shrugged. "Well, why don't you open it when we get inside?" I shook my head. "It's okay! I'll open it later." I said, trying to make it seem unimportant.

They all looked at me like I just said that I wanted to go bungee jumping naked or something extreme like that. Oh skittles, this was just murder!! "I want you to open the package. It must be important if someone sent it to you." Kankuro said, handing me the package.

I took the package and just nodded. Gaara was giving me this glare, but I chose to ignore it. We stepped inside and I went down to Temari's room. I put my stuff and the package down on the bed. I sighed and plopped down.

Temari came in and sat down on her bed. "What are rough trip we had." She stated, laying down on the bed. "Uh huh." I said, trying to close my eyes.

"Any idea what's in the package?" She asked, peering over at the infamous brown package. I shrugged. "Not a clue." She was about to say something else, when she was interrupted by a knocking at the door. "Come in!" She moaned, closing her eyes.

Gaara came in the room and peered at her. "Kankuro needs your help in the kitchen, Temari. Hurry up before he does something stupid."

She sighed and got up. "Fine, fine. I'm going." She walked out of the room and Gaara came over to me.

"Do you know what's in the package?" He asked, peering at me. I rolled my eyes. "I already told you that I didn't know."

He peered at my face. "I know you're lying. Why don't you just tell me now. It'll save us problems later on."

Oh Boggy Jones, I can't do it! "Fine, but just listen. It might not make sense to you, but this is the truth and nothing else."

He nodded. I cleared my throat and spilled out everything. From how I got here, to what the package was. He just nodded from time to time, but he never interrupted.

"So you're from a different world and that package is your way back to it, right?" He asked after I was done.

I nodded. "Yep. You probably think that I'm crazy, right?"

He shook his head. "I don't completely understand it all, but who would? Anyway, I trust that what you say is true. Sad to say, Temari and Kankuro have to find out, tonight preferably. The sooner we all know, the sooner you get to go home."

I shook my head. "What if I don't want to go home? What if I want to stay here with you?"

He sighed. "If that painting came for you, that means that you need to go back to your home. I think that if you are meant to come back, you will."

I nodded. We heard Kankuro calling for us, so we walked up to the kitchen, where nothing smelled like burned food.

We ate in a tired silence and Gaara cleared his throat. "Esther, isn't there something that you want to tell Kankuro and Temari?"

AN: Aw, only one more chapter!! Please review! Thanks a bunch.


	15. Promises & Goodbyes

**Chapter 15: Promises & Goodbyes**

I cleared my throat. I explained everything that had happened to Temari and Kankuro. Once I was finished, I noticed they both had surprised looks on their faces. Oh Boggy Jones, this was so confusing..

"So.. There is another world, other than the one that we're technically in now?" Temari asked intrigued.

"Yep. I'm sure that there are still more worlds out there, too. Anyway, this will probably be the last time I see all of you."

Kankuro shook his head sadly. "You sure that you can't stay any longer? There's still so much stuff that you still haven't seen."

I gave him a sad smile. "I'm sorry."

Temari sighed. "This is horrible! Will we ever know for sure if we'll ever meet again?"

I shrugged. "Who knows, Temari? Maybe we will, maybe we won't." Oh Boggy, this sucked worse than dropping a fried egg on a new dress!

We finished eating and I just kind of sat at the table, looking around and thinking about how much I was going to miss all of this. Aw snapper turtles..

"Can you come downstairs?" Gaara asked.

I sighed and got up from the table. I walked down the stairs and into his room. Once inside, I came over and gave him a hug.

I couldn't hold the tears in any longer. I cried my heart out, and Gaara just sat there, hugging me back., his way of telling me that he was here for me.

We let go and I wiped my eyes. "Promise you won't forget!" I murmured, acting like the helpless person I was inside.

He nodded. "I promise. You promise to never forget me?"

I smiled. "I promise! How could I ever forget someone as awesome as you?!" With that b eing said, I pulled the ribbon that was in my hair out and held it out to him. "If you really love me, you'll keep this with you everywhere that you go."

He took the ribbon from me. "Always. Hold on a second." He walked off to a corner of his room and dug around. Soon, he turned back to me.

"If you really love me, you'll always wear this necklace." He opened up his right hand and showed me the necklace. It was a plain silver chain, with a glassy rock that had a piece of sand inside of it. In the sunlight, the sand shown like the rainbow.

I gasped and put it on. "Totally!" He nodded. "Good, that's settled then."

There was a knock at the door. Gaara told them to come in, and the other two stepped into the room.

Temari came over to me and gave me a hug. "I'm going to miss you so much!"

I nodded . "You have no idea."

We let go and Kankuro came over and gave me a strong hug. "You'll never know how much I'm going to miss you, Esther. Be careful in your other world, alright?"

I laughed and wiped the tears away from my eyes. "I'd like to be alone when I open the painting, if you guys don't mind."

They all shook their heads and I gave them all one last hug. Oh boggy, life would never be the same without them. I'd miss all the laughter, joking, and just good times I had while I was in this world.

I turned around and gave them a cheery smile before I closed the door. "Sayonara."

I made my way to Temari's room and closed the door. I made my way over to the package and ripped it open.

Inside, was a beautiful painting of my room back home. My real home. I peered at the painting until the blue walls started to surround me. I guess this was just how it was suppose to be.

AN: Ah, it's over!-tear,tear- Please review if you liked this fic! Thanks to all of you how already do review! You're what kept this story going!


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